This invention relates generally to the field of stored value accounts, and in particular to accounting practices relating to such accounts. More specifically, the invention relates to the management of stored value transactions that occur across multiple business entities.
Stored value accounts have gained widespread use in the United States, among other countries. Such stored value accounts are typically associated with a card having an account number, and are often referred to as “gift cards.” These cards can often be purchased at a retail location for a special amount, e.g., $20. After paying for the card, the account number is read from the card, such as by using a mag stripe reader. The account number is transmitted to a database where the associated account is credited for $20. Each time a purchase is made, the account is debited by the purchase amount.
One issue that arises when using such cards to make purchases is how to account for transactions that occur across different business entities. Such situations may arise, for example, when merchants are franchised or have affiliate locations. For example, a franchised organization is often made up of various franchisees that independently own and operate their own store or groups of stores. Such franchisees typically utilize their own accounting systems. As such, if a customer purchases a gift card at one franchise location and then attempts to use the card to make a purchase at another franchise location that is separately owned and/or managed, there is no way to reconcile accounts between the two franchisees. As such, many franchise locations simply refuse to honor gift cards purchased at other locations, thereby reducing their attractiveness to consumers.